


a different kind of love

by Zombiegravitation



Category: Still Star-Crossed (TV)
Genre: Canon Related, Canon Relationships, Fake Character Death, Fluff, Gen, Love, Pre-Canon, References to Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-16 10:29:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14809635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zombiegravitation/pseuds/Zombiegravitation
Summary: One day Rosaline will learn love isn't always sweet, that love isn't kind. But that is a lesson for a Rosaline yet to come, this Rosaline only knows a kind love.





	a different kind of love

One day Rosaline will learn love isn't always sweet, that love isn't kind. 

Love is selfish.

_"You see that!" Juliet half yelled as she waved her hand at the distant chaos just outside their home, her eyes flickering to her door, almost afraid her father would burst in. "We can't just let him die. Are you really so caught up in your own desires that you care so little for my happiness?"_

_"My own desires?" Rosaline repeated incredulously._

_"To marry off Livia. To join a nunnery, to turn your back on your own house!" Juliet cried, turning away from Rosaline. Juliet still couldn't believe her cousin wanted to abandon them for a meagar sense of independence. Rosaline had been the one to support her and witness her wedding ceremony to Romeo. "He's my husband!"_

_Rosaline reared back, part of her - the more aggressively bossh part that she had to keep under ropes lest Lady Capulet hear of it - wanted to tell at Juliet for being a hypocrite. Rosaline wasn't the one to marry a boy she met and know for barely a day. And she never had the heart to tell Juliet that Romeo had attempted to woo Rosaline not long ago. Not that she would have ever considered him a real suitor, he was a Montague!_

_But even if she had, she wasn't allowed to be selfish anymore, once her father died everything went to ruins. Escalus abandoned her, her mother died. God knows she's not the easiest to get along with, time was better spent searching for a husband for Livia than herself._

_"A secret known only by people who aren't likely to reveal it." Rosaline pointed out, only for Juliet to admit to doing something Rosaline had hoped hadn't happened. She let out a deep sigh and rubbed her temples._

_"Do you think me a fool?" Juliet asked quietly, embarrassed that she told Rosaline she was no longer a virgin._

_"I think you are young and so is your husband. In truth, there is only one man I blame for this." Her gentle voice took a darker tone as she thought of the man responsible for this trouble, Friar Lawrence. The very man who might be able to help them._

_-_

_Rosaline hushed Juliet as they snuck back into Juliet's chambers. Juliet clutched the vial of poison in her hand, the elaborate vial leaving marks in her palms. She threw her cloak on the floor before jumping on to her bed. Rosaline huffed and hung both their cloaks up before standing beside Juliet's bed._

_"Remember just one drop." Rosaline reminded her quietly. She wanted to rip it from Juliet's hands, how could she even think of doing this to her parents. Doesn't she realized what pain she'll put them through? She turns to leave and barely takes a step before a pale hand encircled her wrist. Rosaline looked back at Juliet, frightened eyes wet with tears._

_And like a scared child, she pleads. "Wait with me."_

_"I'll wait with you."_

_Juliet took Rosaline's hand in hers, dropper full of dark poison. She can only meet Rosaline's eyes for a second, unwilling to face the pain she's causing her friend._

_"Fair Rosaline. You are a true friend." Lips parted and a single blood red drop fell on her tongue. She fell back, hand slipping from Rosaline's. Juliet's face looked peaceful but her body looked broken splayed back like that. Rosaline took the poison, tucking it beneath her shift and stepped back._

_"Juliet." She whispered, checking if it actually worked. In a louder voice she cries, "Juliet!"_

_Rosaline stepped back more and more till she reached a side table. She knocked down vase, never taking her eyes off Juliet. She bolted, screaming as she knocked into another servant. "Help us! Somebody, please!"_

Love can make one cruel and bitter.

_"You never seem to appreciate anything I've done for you." Giuliana spat, every dark feeling that she restrained for her sweet daughter's sake bubbling to the surface._

_"And what exactly have you done for us?" Rosaline asked slowly, as if she really was trying to remember._

_"I'm sorry?" Giuliana asked, startled that Rosaline actually responded. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion as Rosaline drew herself up into a regal stance. They faced each other as Rosaline spoke again._

_"You keep us in this house not out of generosity but out of jealousy of a woman who died years ago."_

_"Your mother was a worthless jade." Giuliana hissed, a sneer marring her face._

_"Heh. Because she married the brother you loved but wouldn't stoop to wed because you wanted a title, if not the man who came with it." Rosaline drawled, she tilted her head to look down at Lady Capulet. Lady Capulet could never measure up to Rosaline's mother nor she could ever deserve someone like her kind father._

_"If you think I can't make you suffer a thousand times more than you already have," Giuliana stalking closer, getting in Rosaline's face. Rosaline saw nothing but hatred in Lady Capulet's dark eyes, she can't imagine her father ever feeling something for the woman in front of her. "You've less imagination than I thought. Mark my words, sweet Rosaline the worst is yet to come. Go now."_

Love sometimes makes loss even worse.

_"They were my brothers. I can't remember a day where they weren't there." Benvolio said as he played with his cloak. Rosaline wanted to smack his hands so he'd stop. It was cold enough without him moving it around. But hearing him speak about the two men that meant the world to him, stilled her own hands. "Or rather I don't want to remember. My mother died trying to give my father another child and my father died suddenly. Romeo's father, Lord Montague, he took me in because he had to, not because he wanted to. Romeo knew that, so he did everything he could to make sure I was happy even if we didn't always see eye to eye."_

_He laughed remembering the various pranks they pulled when they were younger, most of which were born from Mercutio's mind. The man was a mad genius, Benvolio wonders what Mercutio would have done if he were in Benvolio's place or even Romeo's. Then he realized Mercutio would have never let things get this far._

_Benvolio rubbed his chest, that ache that came when he thought his brothers. Rosaline leaned her head against Benvolio's shoulder, giving her quiet support. Quieter than she thought, she whispered, "I know it hurts. Our pain, it's not the same but I know, what it means to pretend to be happy, to go through the motions but not feel anything. Sometimes I get so mad at Romeo and Juliet though, why did they did they have to be so selfish? But I'm also a little jealous, they believed they were doing something right. I guess it was the rest of us who were wrong for not accepting it."_

Love can hurt.

_"Are you going to tell my uncle? Or should I?" Rosaline said brightly, her spirit considerably lighter after Escalus' promise._

_"Tell him what?"_

_"That the betrothal is off. That you and I I spent the night here." She almost shy as she tucked her hair back, nothing more than a few shared kisses had happened but she still felt embarrassed for staying in his room._

_"Yes, you did. With your dear friend Isabella. You are nobility again. It's perfectly proper." Escalus said slowly as if he were trying to explain it to a child. He looked at his hands, almost disgusted with himself. The crown has changed him, or rather his promise to his father to always put Verona first would always come to mind. "At least, that's what I could say."_

_"I'm sorry?" Rosaline flinched as if she'd been slapped. What was he suggesting?_

_"You said it yourself. You spent the night here, so you're either the Princess's dear friend or the Prince's."_

_"What? What changed? What do you want?" Hurt bled into her voice, this couldn't be happening. She didn't have to marry a Montague. She loved Escalus and he loved her. He said that he could keep showing his power, that he could control them. So what happened?_

_"It's not what I want." He wanted to reach out and hold her, reassure her that his feelings hadn't changed but the circumstances had._

_"You tricked me." She accused, jabbing a finger in his chest. Her breaths came out in desperate hitches._

_"I didn't."_

_"You brought me here, filled my head with lies." Rosaline turned away, curling into herself. She can't believe she let him fool her, she always thought she was better than that but she was no different from Juliet, falling for the sweet words and even sweeter kisses of a man._

_"I didn't."_

_"What do you want?"_

_"Rosaline..."_

_"Say it." Rosaline gritted out, she kept her eyes down not wanting to look at him. She knew what he would say._

_"I want you to marry Benvolio Montague." He said, keeping his eyes on her, wanting to see how she'd react._

_"I won't."_

_"Then I will ruin your name." Escalus threatened, lifting her chin, forcing her to look at him. Her brown eyes dull with pain and wet with tears. He had once swore to never hurt her, but here was breaking that promise._

_"I don't care about my name." Rosaline shook her head, what was a name when she was losing everything she had wanted?_

_"Does Livia? Do you think she'll marry with a harlot for a sister?" Escalus huffed, shaking his head. Even a whisper of trouble could lose a betrothal._

_Rosaline nearly slapped him, he could do what he wanted to her and her reputation but if he dared to do anything to Livia, there would be nothing left of him._

_"Believe me, Rosaline this is for the best."_

_"Keep telling yourself that." She strolled out the door, hearing it slam shut. She managed to escape into an empty hall before she leaned against the wall. She hunched over, shaky sobs slipped out of her mouth. She tried hard to muffled them with her hand, but they just shook her body. She couldn't believe he had hurt her like that._

Even those closest to you can hurt you.

_"I'm so sorry Rosaline. I should have told you. You would have realized what sort of person Paris truly was." Livia sobbed, her hands moving in the same pattern. First they were wiping away her cheeks, then they shifted up to her eyes before she dried them on her skirt, only for her to wet them again as she cleaned her face again. "And none of this would have happened."_

_Rosaline doubted it, Paris was a power hungry man. If it hadn't been Livia, perhaps if Juliet lived it would have been her or it could have been some other Capulet girl. She doesn't know what he and Lady Capulet would have done to conquer Verona._

_But she didn't voice this._

_Livia felt guilty enough, while they had barely managed to defeat Paris with the help of the Doge; Escalus was still recovering from his injury with Isabella ruling in his stead, Benvolio had escaped execution but he got hurt in the war. Most city of was damaged, the people eyed each other with distrust._

_Even now, Rosaline had her own doubts about Livia, about Escalus. She felt as if Benvolio was the only person she could trust._

But that was a lesson for an older Rosaline, a girl flowered and love struck. This Rosaline was young, the only love she knew was familial love and the love her parents shared.

Rosaline was reading in her room, one foot hanging off the bed. Mors was snoozing next to her, the little dog wiggled his paws making her giggle. But she wasn't the only one giggling.

A flash of green and a flash of pink jumped on her bed, startling them both. Juliet's rosy face looked up at her, Livia pressed her face into Juliet's belly trying to muffle her laughter. Rosaline could hear the squacks and shrill screeching outside, ruining her quiet atmosphere.

"What did you two do?" Rosaline asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion. 

"Nothing. I swear!" Juliet shook her head and Livia lifted her head enough to smile innocently at her sister. "A chicken just made it's way into the laundry room all on its own."

"And Nurse should know better than to nap where the mousers play." Livia said mischievously. "Her habit looks like a nice toy to them."

"And I'm sure they didn't have any sort of incentive to go for it."

"Mayhaps, mayhaps." They sing-songed.

"Ooh, I'm telling Mother!" Rosaline yelled hopping off her bed and fleeing out the door. Mors snuffled watching his girl rush off, before curled back up to sleep. "I am not taking the blame again."

"Rosaline!" Juliet squeaked as Livia cried, "Nooo!!!"

They both chased after her, their bare feet slapping against the ground. They caught her outside their parents study, Rosaline peeking in. She hushed them, pointing inside.

"They're being mushy again." She whispered, the look on her face a mixture of awed and grossed out. Love was sweet but they were her parents, they didn't have to be so lovey dovey.

"Well I think its sweet." Juliet said, thinking of her own parents marriage. They were more affectionate to her than they were to each other. Together they watched as Tatiana Capulet and her husband Adrian seated in two separate seats, each with a book in one hand and the other holding their spouse's hand. 

Adrian would flip a page or two before pressing kiss to his wife's hand. Tatiana would in turn squeeze his hand, and a smile would curl her mouth up. Looking up from her book, Lady Tatiana smiled at her daughters and niece. 

"Girls, just what did you do outside?" She barely managed to get her question out before Rosaline crashed into her legs while Livia and Juliet started giving her husband puppy dog eyes. Sharing a look with her husband, they laughed over the overlapping chatter.

**Author's Note:**

> i can't seem to do straight fluff lol. I'm probably gonna be late to all the prompts sorry. I stayed up late to finish writing this, so excuse any errors. Later once my real life is less busy I will edit all the works I post for SSC Anniversary. Some dialogue is directly lifted from canon, but I trimed some of it and the actions might not match since I haven't watched it in a while oops ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


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